The Basics of Soccer and Player Positions

17

Jun

2018

Soccer is a fun sport that requires a team effort to win. We see it everywhere from television to print ads. A lot of people would like to play it and yet, some do not even know where to begin with to learn the sport, answering questions like “How many players should be in the team?” or “What are their positions?” or even “What are the players called?” In this feature, you will learn all the basic data you need to know about playing soccer so you can start trying it out with ease.

What Is Soccer?

Soccer is played by two teams with eleven members each, both fighting to bring the ball beyond their rival’s goal line. In this game, no one is allowed to touch the ball except for the use of body parts other than the hands or arms. You may use your head, chest or knees but never the hands and arms. The only players allowed to touch the ball are the goalkeepers but we will get to that part later.

Soccer is played in a large field given the number of players involved in it. The field, or what they call in Soccer as pitch, is more than a hundred meters in length with two goals at each end. In front of the goal is the penalty area, an area that has many functions but, mainly, its purpose is that it is where the goalkeeper may handle the ball.

What Are The Players Called?

Soccer requires eleven players for each team. Some of these players are called the Forwards. These players’ purpose is to score goals. They are usually the players who get penalty kicks and the ones responsible for the kick-off at the start of the game and halftime.

Another type of player is the Midfielders. They are in charge of assisting and ensuring that the rival team cannot go beyond their goal line. They pass the ball to Forwards and tries to score themselves if ever there is an opportunity.

Some of the players are called Defenders. They are responsible for doing all that it takes for the ball not to get beyond their defense. They are also the last players that the rival team will encounter before it reaches the goalkeeper.

There are also players which are called Sweepers. They are usually the ones who do throw-ins whenever the rival team kicks the ball beyond the field boundaries.

And finally, the Goalkeeper. Also called the goalie, this player is the only one allowed to touch the ball using their hands. Positioned in front of the soccer goal nets, they are responsible for making sure the ball does not reach the nets. If the goalie is not able to deter the ball, the rival team gets a score. During penalty kicks, the goalie is also in charge of blocking so that the ball does not hit the net. Dropkicks are also part of their job and that is to kick the ball as farther away as they can from their own goal.

Learning the basics of soccer and the unique positions in the game is very important for a beginner. This will be a great guide to start-off your soccer journey and in making team plays that are sure to end up victorious.